The anorexic: Jenna Griffiths, 23, a student, lives in Keele, Staffs. She says…

My parents went through a nasty divorce when I was 13 which made left me really unsettled. The following year I went on a diet.

At 5ft 1in, I weighed 7st 7lbs and just wanted to drop half a stone, so I cut out sweets, chocolates and crisps, and ate smaller portions.

Within three weeks, the weight dropped off. I got such a buzz, I decided to carry on and lose a bit more – and then a bit more...

By the following year, I was existing on one piece of toast with Marmite and an apple and an orange a day. I also did hours of aerobics in my bedroom.

My “diet” had become anorexia.

Mum noticed but by the time she convinced me to go to a doctor I weighed 6st. She took some photos of me with my bones sticking out of my skin but I was so ill, I couldn’t see anything wrong.

I continued with my regime and dropped to 5st 9lbs.

Eventually, tests showed that my organs were failing and my periods had stopped. The doctors said that I would die within six months if I didn’t have treatment and I was admitted to hospital.

Despite all this, I refused to believe that I had a problem and I was furious with my mum for going along with the doctors.

At hospital, the staff watched me constantly and sat with me as I attempted to eat my meals. It sometimes took two hours to clear my plate.

After six months in hospital, my weight had risen to 7st 7lbs and I was discharged from hospital. But, when I returned to school to do my A-levels, I lost half a stone again.

I decided to put my studies on hold until I felt better. I moved out of home into a bedsit.

I still resented my mum and shut her out of my life for a while.

When I was 19, I finally felt ready to go back to college, so I took A-levels and got a place at Keele University. There I got together with my boyfriend, Peter, who is so understanding.

I’ve also rebuilt my relationship with my mum and I know now that she was right to do what she did. This year, I graduated with first-class honours and I’ve just started a master’s degree in social work.

Although I’m still careful with my diet, I now weigh just over 8st. The best advice I can offer to any anorexics is to focus on the long term. Focusing on what I wanted to do in life pulled me through. If I’d carried on as I was, I wouldn’t have achieved any of my dreams or given myself the chances I’ve got now because I wouldn’t be here.

I am determined not to relapse because I have too much to lose now. I also couldn’t bear to put my family through it again.

Although I didn’t consider their feelings at the time of my illness because I was so consumed with it, I feel terribly guilty about how it affected them all. If I fell ill again, it would destroy them.

I suffered from anorexia in my youth so I quickly recognised the signs in Jenna.

Growing up she was a fun-loving chatterbox but her illness made her angry and aggressive.

I soon realised that I was the enemy. I was the person who wanted to take the anorexia away from Jenna and she wanted to keep it. She had complete control over it and wanted to keep it that way.

Her weight loss became very drastic and I urged her to go to the doctor. When she was first seeing a specialist, it was up to me to look after her at home but I couldn’t get her to eat. Each week, she just lost more weight.

When the specialist finally said she had to be admitted to hospital I had to leave her there, pleading for me to take her home.

That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do but I knew that it was for the best. She wouldn’t survive without medical help.

I felt guilty, ashamed, and that it was my fault in many ways. She’d got her obsessive personality from me and because I suffered from the same eating disorder I blamed myself as they say it can run in families.

After she was discharged from hospital she moved away and totally rejected me.

It was heartbreaking but I kept on letting her know I was there for her. I wrote her letters, left her phone messages and took her food parcels in the hope that she’d let me back in.

After that things gradually got better and our relationship is lovely now. Without the anorexia I probably would’ve taken that for granted but I appreciate it so much more now.

Her dad: Dennis Griffiths, 55, is a JCB driver. He says…

Instinct tells me that the nasty divorce between Linda and me must have been a cause of Jenna’s anorexia.

She couldn’t control the fact we were splitting up but she could control her weight – and that’s what she did.

As I was away from the family home I didn’t find out about the true extent of Jenna’s anorexia until it was very advanced.

Getting the phone call to say she’d been admitted to hospital devastated me and hearing that this disease could kill my daughter hit me like a sledgehammer.

All her organs were failing and although she didn’t want to be in hospital I knew it was the best place for her.

One day, I sat at her bedside and watched her take one-and-a-half hours to eat two slices of bread. Sometimes, I found it hard to believe that she would get better but, as time went on and I saw her gaining small amounts of weight, I felt encouraged.

Jenna must take all the credit for rebuilding her life. Her determination has made me proud.

Her brother: Josh Griffiths, 16, is a student. He says…

I was only eight when Jenna became ill. All I knew was that my sister wasn’t well and couldn’t eat normally. We got on well when she was younger but she became really moody and stopped having time for me.

We spent a lot of time driving to see Jenna in hospital. I didn’t ask a lot of questions and spent a lot of time on my own, following everyone else around. The doctors were helping Jenna to get better and eat again, and that was all I needed to know.

The main thing is that Jenna is better now.

Her boyfriend: Peter Howson, 22, is also a student. He says…

When I found out how ill Jenna had been, I was shocked. I spoke to my dad, who is a doctor, and he explained the severity of the illness.

As Jenna is now recovered, I hardly notice her eating habits but she knows a lot about nutrition and this has rubbed off on me so I’m much healthier now.

Jenna is such a determined character and that’s maybe why her anorexia was so severe and why she has done exceptionally well at her studies.

But I am not worried that the illness will come back. She’s such a gorgeous, confident girl and has achieved so much.

I know she won’t let anorexia take everything away from her again.

-If you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder go to www.b-eat.co.uk